Question 1

Which scientist is credited with disproving the theory of spontaneous generation using swan-necked flasks?

Accepted Answer

Louis Pasteur

Question 2

Which of the following best describes Koch's postulates?

Accepted Answer

A series of steps to prove that a specific microbe causes a specific disease

Question 3

Which of the following is NOT a function of the bacterial glycocalyx?

Accepted Answer

Motility through the environment

Question 4

A Gram-negative bacterial cell wall is characterized by which of the following features?

Accepted Answer

A thin layer of peptidoglycan and an outer membrane containing lipopolysaccharide

Question 5

Which of the following best explains why water is considered a universal solvent in biological systems?

Accepted Answer

Water forms hydrogen bonds with polar molecules, allowing many substances to dissolve

Question 6

Which of the following macromolecules is primarily responsible for catalyzing biochemical reactions in cells?

Accepted Answer

Proteins

Question 7

A scientist observes a bacterium moving toward a chemical attractant. This behavior is best described as:

Accepted Answer

Chemotaxis

Question 8

Which of the following statements about endospores is TRUE?

Accepted Answer

Endospores are resistant structures formed by some bacteria to survive harsh conditions

Question 9

Which of the following best describes the function of the bacterial cell membrane?

Accepted Answer

Acts as a selective barrier controlling the passage of substances in and out of the cell

Question 10

Which of the following is a correct statement about facilitated diffusion?

Accepted Answer

It uses protein channels to move substances down their concentration gradient without energy input

Question 11

Which of the following is a unique feature of archaeal cell membranes compared to bacterial membranes?

Accepted Answer

Ether-linked lipids

Question 12

Which scientist is credited with the development of the first vaccine, and for which disease?

Accepted Answer

Edward Jenner, smallpox

Question 13

Which of the following best describes the quaternary structure of a protein?

Accepted Answer

The association of multiple polypeptide chains into a functional protein complex

Question 14

Which of the following is a function of bacterial pili?

Accepted Answer

Attachment to surfaces and transfer of genetic material

Question 15

Which of the following is a correct description of the process of binary fission?

Accepted Answer

A form of asexual reproduction where a single cell divides into two identical daughter cells

Question 16

Which of the following is a distinguishing feature of Gram-positive bacteria?

Accepted Answer

Thick peptidoglycan layer

Question 17

Which of the following best explains the function of ribosomes in prokaryotic cells?

Accepted Answer

Protein synthesis

Question 18

Which of the following is a correct statement about the endosymbiotic theory?

Accepted Answer

It proposes that mitochondria and chloroplasts originated from free-living prokaryotes engulfed by ancestral eukaryotic cells

Question 19

Which of the following is a function of the Golgi body in eukaryotic cells?

Accepted Answer

Modification, sorting, and packaging of proteins and lipids

Question 20

Which of the following best describes the role of phospholipids in biological membranes?

Accepted Answer

They form a bilayer that acts as a barrier to most water-soluble substances

Microbiology Study Notes: Foundations, Chemistry, and Cell Structure

Study Guide - Practice Questions